Wireless cellular telecommunication networks comprise a core data network and a wireless network. The wireless access part of the network must be carefully planned in order for each user to receive the radio signal of sufficient quality. The strength and quality of the signal in the core part of the network enable adequate capacity of services in the wireless telecommunication network.
The proper coverage of a geographical area with a radio signal is provided by means of macro base stations grouped in a cluster of cells. In order to increase the wireless network capacity, distributed small base station entities have been considered which have been defined as nano, pico and femto base stations with a smaller radio coverage in comparison to macro base stations.
Operating parameters, such as operating frequency, antenna orientation, transmission intensity and so forth, are essential for optimal wireless access telecommunication network operation. Within a discrete geographic region the base stations are assigned a limited number of carrier frequencies. Suitable choice of many other operating parameters is also important. The of a base station or of an individual mobile terminal often has a profound effect on both the interference generated for other base stations or for users who are not the intended receiver of the transmission. This reduces the probability of successful transmission reception by the intended receiver. A variety of other operating parameters, in addition to the operating frequency, such as antenna orientation, hand-off thresholds, traffic power limits, and pilot power fraction of total amplifier power similarly affect network function.
In establishing an operating communications network, identification parameters are set for each base station, often enumerating as many as few hundred base stations for a metropolitan area. Thus, significant planning based on above mentioned parameters typically precedes such establishment. Although at least some of these parameters are adjusted as the network evolves, the incipient choices are carefully made to avoid initial network failure or to avoid an excessive duration and area of unacceptable operation. Even after the network becomes operational, further base stations are added as the network expands. Such additional base stations have identification and operating parameters that require initialization. A poor initial choice of parameters has the potential for causing a network failure or unacceptable degradation of reception for existing users.
Currently, radio networks are being planned using specialized planning software which initially estimates the radio signal from different base station sites. The planning software is then used to calculate interference between base stations which affects the performance of the radio network. In addition to planning software, different kinds of measurement equipment is used in radio network planning, such as field measuring devices, a radio network control system, and specialized software for comparing the estimated and measured data, presenting the information in visual form or in other ways. Traditional network planning comprises radio frequency measurements to determine environmental factors and extensive simulations based on the measured data to determine the optimal placement and parameters of base stations.
One purposed approach for reducing complexity of the network management, thus reducing the expenditures, is auto configuration. In auto configuration procedures a base station automatically establishes some or all of its own identification and operations parameters upon initialization.